Cairo: Al Azhar, Sunni Islam’s influential institution, on Wednesday proposed designating 2018 as the year of Jerusalem in a move aimed at countering US President Donald Trump’s recent recognition of the holy city as Israel’s capital.
The proposal was floated on Wednesday by Grand Imam of Al Azhar Shaikh Ahmad Al Tayyib at a major conference being held in Cairo in support of Occupied Jerusalem.
“I propose designating this year as the year of Jerusalem in order to highlight its status and to offer financial and moral support for the Jerusalemites,” the prominent Muslim cleric said in an opening address to the conference.
He explained that the agenda of the year should feature high-profile cultural and media activities engaging Arab governmental and non-governmental organisations as well as universities.
- Shaikh Ahmad Al Tayyeb | Grand Imam of Al Azhar
Shaikh Al Tayyib also called on Arab countries to teach special syllabuses on the Palestinian problem, with an emphasis on Occupied Jerusalem.
“A bitter reality is that the syllabuses in our curricula are unable to help [students] form any sense of correct awareness about this cause. There is not a single syllabus that sheds light on this serious cause, its history and present status.”
The two-day conference is co-organised by Al Azhar and the Muslim Council of Elders based in Abu Dhabi.
The event, being attended by representatives of 86 countries, is aimed at raising awareness of the Jerusalem cause; emphasising its Arab-Islamic identity; and highlighting international responsibility for the Israeli-occupied city.
“This conference sounds the alarm anew and rekindles zeal of Arabs, Muslims and Christians for the necessity of standing firm against the savage Zionist transgression backed by some international policies,” Shaikh Al Tayyib told the gathering.
He condemned Trump’s decision on Occupied Jerusalem as “unfair”.
“This unfair decision should be countered by a new Islamic, Arab thinking underlining the Arab identity of Jerusalem.”
Last month, Trump announced a plan to relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a step that unleashed street protests in the Arab and Islamic worlds. The US decision also triggered world condemnations.
In an address to the Cairo conference, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on Arab Muslims and Christians to end their boycott of going to Jerusalem, arguing that such visits will help preserve the city’s identity and support its inhabitants.
“I call on everyone to visit [Jerusalem]. This is not normalisation [with Israel]. Please do not leave us alone,” Abbas said at the conference.
“We confirm to you that trips of Arabs, Muslims and Christians to Jerusalem will protect and support it. It is not normalisation.”
- Mahmoud Abbas | Palestinian President
Most Arabs shun visiting Occupied Jerusalem, believing that such journeys constitute a sort of normal links with Israel.
Occupied Jerusalem is home to Al Aqsa Mosque, which is Islam’s third holiest site.
“Arab and Islamic links with Palestine, Palestinians, the city of Jerusalem and its people in particular amount to support of its Arab and Islamic identity. It is not a normalisation with the occupation,” Abbas said.
He branded Trump’s decision on Jerusalem as “sinful”, saying that the US is no longer qualified to play a peace mediator.
“Trump’s decision will not give Israel any legitimacy. Jerusalem is still an Islamic and Christian city, without which there will be no peace in the region,” he added.
Palestinians want East Jerusalem to be the capital of their future state.
The Cairo gathering, held under the auspices of President Abdul Fattah Al Sissi, is titled “Al Azhar international conference in support of Jerusalem”.
The conference hall was bedecked with images of Al Aqsa Mosque as a miniature of the holy site loomed large in the background of the podium. Popular songs praising Jerusalem echoed inside the hall prior to the opening of the event.
